The Angel and the Devil
by crazstiz
Summary: First time writing! A tragidy sheds light on a hidden romance that has been deepening behind the groups' back.
1. Chapter 1

Be Kind! this is my first time writing anything outside of essays for school. I never liked writing fiction, but this idea has been in my head and sorta exploded out. I am planning on writing a few more chapters on this line, then 2 prequels. any help is greatly appreciated!

The Angel and the Devil. Part 1

She screamed. She had nothing else in her. The man she loved was bleeding to death in her arms. Shot by some crazed lunatic.

It was supposed to be a simple run. Things had calmed down since they won the war for the prison. Rick and Daryl were in dealings with Milton, the new leader of Woodbury, for trades and allegiances. Nothing was set in stone but things were looking up. Especially for her.

She had been so lonely. Even with her family surrounding her, no one truly understood her. Then He came.

She had never thought she would be with a man like him. A rough redneck with a mean streak the size of Texas. But underneath that, she saw depth. A desperate love of his brother, confusion at the differences in this world to the previous, and a deep loneliness, just like hers.

That's what drew her to him. They were both so different, yet so lonely for someone to understand. One inexperienced in everything in life, and the other, having seen and done so much it had scarred him for life. But they couldn't avoid it. They were drawn to each other, desperately and passionately.

No one knew about them. Some may have suspected something, but nothing as deep as their love went. That's what made it so easy for her to ask to go on the run. She needed to get a few things, a few surprises for him.

He was a perfect gentleman, something she had never expected. He told her he would wait for her to be ready, that they didn't need to hurry. Lately she had been thinking, and had come to the conclusion that tonight; she was ready to give herself to him.

Rick, Glenn, Maggie, herself and him had gone to a small town a few miles out. They hadn't had time to fully explore its opportunities since the issues with the governor. They pulled up in front of a small hunting store, looking for sleeping bag, winter clothes and other supplies. All seemed quiet as they cleaned out the place, filling both cars with badly needed resources. On the last load, she heard something, turned and was shocked at the gun in her face. Somehow a crazed man, a survivor, had hidden from them, and now had her at gun point.

She glanced around, hoping to find a weapon; however the man pressed the gun against her head harder as she reached for the knife, the same one he had given her earlier. The man was spouting nonsense, blaming her for the walkers, the world as it was. He screamed that he was going to kill her for bringing this upon him. As she cringed, expecting the pain of a gunshot, suddenly the man was ripped away from her. In the small amount of sunlight that had filtered thru the building she could see the lunatic wrestling with someone. All of a sudden a gunshot went off, and the next second she saw a knife tip appear thru the back of the lunatic.

She ran up to the two unmoving bodies, flung the lunatic to the side, to her worst nightmare. Merle was lying with a gun shot thru the chest.

Beth screamed, scream for Maggie, Glenn and Rick to help her.

Rick appeared at her side, ripped the shirt from the lunatic's body and pressed it on to Merle's wound. "Hold this here, it's a high shot, only through his shoulder. If we can get him to your father fast enough he may survive."

Glenn and Maggie came running in, Glenn looked to Rick who told him to help him find something to carry Merle on. They ran off as Maggie ran to Beth's side.

"Are you okay?! What happened!" Maggie cried.

"He saved me. He saved me from that lunatic! I would have died if it wasn't for him and I haven't told him yet!"

"Told him what sweetie?" Maggie glanced at her sister. She and her father both suspected something was going on, but now she knew, and worried at her sister's next words.

"I love him. I never told him I love him. He made me so happy, I was so lonely! And he came along and I have never been happier. Now I'm going to lose him, and he'll never know!"

Maggie's heart clenched at the words. She thought Merle was much too old for her sister, had told Hershel as much. But she watched Beth gently touched his face with one hand while the other desperately tried to stop the flow of blood. Bloodshed by him as a sacrifice for her sister. Maggie may not have approved before, but now, after this, Merle had proved to her his strength and love for her sister.

"They're back; we need to move him to the truck. Hold the wound while we move him"


	2. Chapter 2

Beth held the shirt to merle's wound. No matter how much she pushed on the blood stained cloth, the blood continued to come. She looked around, desperately hoping to see the prison. From her seat in the back, all she could see were trees.

Rick was driving, with Glenn in the passenger seat and Maggie opposite her in the back of the SUV. The supplies they had been searching for were piled in the middle seat.

Beth looked down at merle's face, even as it ripped her apart to see it. He was so still; much more then she had ever seen him. He always had a smirk of some sort on his face. Sometimes it was subtle, like the night she first kissed him.

That night. She was still smacking herself in the face for it.

She had gone out to the watch tower with his food for the evening. Beth had made it her nightly ritual. For the 2 weeks, since the governor had died, she had tried her best to include merle in the group. He had fought on their side, battled to protect his brother, and his new family, both by name and association. Beth figured that made him a part of the group, and found ways of making him included. She did his laundry, took him his food, said hello to him and good night.

She told herself it was because she said and did those things for everyone, so she could be included. But after a few odd looks from carol, and one from Merle himself, she had to face the fact that Beth Greene was head over heels in love with Merle Dixon. A man 19 years older than her was her secret crush. Though she supposed she wasn't being too secretive about it anymore. The last 2 nights she had been trying all her "moves" on him. She had done the smile and eyes, done the booty tooch, done the pursed lips; all to a fairly interested party. Merle hadn't flirted back yet, however he definitely was smirking. But she wasn't satisfied. No, she wanted that smirk, she wanted to kiss him.

Merle quickly looked down at her as she came up the stair well. He stared back out at the tree line, knowing he'd only have glances for the next few minutes. Merle had come to enjoy his nightly conversation with Beth. She was an interesting young lady for sure. Every night for 2 weeks, he knew he had a warm bowl of food with an intriguing discussion.

Beth would bring up some random event of the day, from MJs cuddly baby antics to dinner to the naked walker that got stuck on the spikes. Merle would respond with whatever crazy story he could come up with from his past. As Beth would giggle, merle would steal as much eye time with that pretty face as he could; From her dark blue eyes, silken blond hair to her pink cupid lips. Merle desperately wanted to kiss those lips. Had a feeling she wanted it too.

The last couple of nights she had laid very strongly with the flirt. Merle had bit his tongue bloody not trying to react, especially when she leaned over to pick up the bowl. But he had already come to the decision; she was going to come to him, in every way possible. She wanted a kiss, she had to take it. That also meant when she wanted sex, she'd have to do some damn good convincing sweet talk. The way he figured it, if he was gonna go to hell for loving a 17 year old angel, and then he wanted to know it was worth it. She wanted him, he knew that. He just didn't know if it was for more than just sex.

Merle had done his share of good girls looking for a bad boy. Fact that had been the majority of his sexual encounters. However Beth was different. She looked at him as more then red neck he was. She and his brother were the only ones to ever do that. Look at him as if he really mattered in his life. Even his new sister in law was still on the fence about him. Ain't that some crazy shit, his baby brother, married or at least soon to be, with two kids. And he was good at it too. His brother had risked a lot for him, he knew that. The least merle could do was try his best to fit in, make things easier on his baby brother. He couldn't hunt anywhere near as good now days with the one hand in all, but he could watch, he could help. Merle figured breaking the farmer's daughter's heart wouldn't play well into this plan. Besides his own feelings.

Merle never gave a damn about anyone in his life but Daryl. Yet here he was smiling as he accepted the bowl from the most beautiful girl he had ever met. As he started on the meal he was surprised. He looked down at the dish, never had spaghetti made from veggies before. As Merle looked down to her pretty face, she smiled up at him. "The spaghetti squash is ripe. They make pretty good stand in spaghetti."

"It's damn good. Thanks for feeding me."

"It's not a big deal, I like feeding you." Beth smiled.

She chatted as he ate, filling him in on the events of the day. As he finished, he handed her the bowl, and checked the tree line. Behind him, he could hear her put the bowl down, gulp and quietly say "Merle?"

He immediately turned to look at her, smirking at the surprised look on her face. She clearly was expecting some explaining time, but here he was, no more than a foot away, looking straight in to her eyes.

He had that damn smirk on as she looked into his dark blue eyes. God she wished she had the courage for this. She wanted that damn smirk already, but something was stopping her.

"Beth?"

"Yeah?"

"Ya want something girlie?"

She looked to his lips, back to his bright eyes.

"Screw it. "

"Wha—"he couldn't finish his sentence as she grabbed the back of his head, and pulled him down into a kiss.

Finally. She had her kiss. It was different then she expected. Definitely different from jimmy. Merle was much taller and bulkier then Jimmy. She felt as if she was on her tip toes, as his good arm came up to her head, while his stump rested on her lower back. He kissed her back gently, but firmly. As she pulled back she smiled up at him.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, stating "bout time, girlie. "

She giggled back, and kissed him again.

Beth came back, as Maggie shook her hand.

"Beth, Beth. We're getting close now. When we get there, let me and rick take him it. We need to be able to move him around, get daddy close so he can treat him. Please, don't fight us on that. I promise, we will do everything we can. And once we have him cleaned up, I will come and get you. But I think it's time you told daddy about you two. I'll help however I can."

Beth's eyes shot up to hers.

"You're okay with us? With merle and me?"

Maggie looked down to the man between them. Thought of Woodbury, when merle tortured Glenn and left her to the governor. Thought of the first time he showed up at the fence. Thought of the battle, when he had stood beside his brother, beside Glenn, firing on the man he had followed, all for the sake of Daryl. Thought to the dead man, with merle's knife buried to the hilt in his back.

Merle had gone down fighting. Fighting to protect her sister. Maggie had made her decision.

"I'm not blind. You clearly love him. He clearly loves you. I can put my issues aside. For you, as long as he doesn't hurt you, I will support you."

Beth looked to her sister with tears in her eyes, as the prison came into view. As they pulled up, she felt sick to her stomach; Daryl was opening the gate.


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl was numb. Felt like a damn nightmare, was a damn nightmare. Merle was shot, thru his upper chest. The bullet was mercifully intact; however it was near the superior vena cava, whatever the fuck that meant. All Daryl knew, was that merle was lying on the bed in a cell, Daryl's own blood being pumped in, with the farmer's daughter sitting next to him, and in a shirt soaked in his brother's blood. Daryl looked at her hand, clenching Merle's last in her blood stained fingers. A small sound caught Daryl's ear and he looked up as carol walked in, carrying several items, Rick came up behind her with a slightly steaming bucket and some towels.

"Beth, sweetie, we need to get him cleaned up." Carol quietly stated.

"I won't leave him. I can't." Beth whispered, almost breaking into tears again.

"Come with me, you can change in your room, I'll help you clean up. We'll come right back and get him cleaned up, but you can't fall apart right now Beth, you can't for his sack."

Beth looked down at merle's face, unchanged since he passed out in the camping supply store. What carol was saying made sense, but she couldn't do it? If he went, slipped away, and she wasn't there…..

Daryl saw the young girl look at his brother, a look he had only seen from one person before. It was the same look carol gave him. The same look he put his trust in, stood behind and protected loved and fought for. Merle had a 17 year old girl looking at him with that same, damned look. The look that had changed his life, in so many ways. He had seen the looks between the two before. Had no damn idea that it was that deep.

Merle. His big brother merle, the son of a bitch that punched him in the face while telling him he would die for him. Same brother that left him, so many times, yet always came back. The same brother that took a bullet to protect this young woman.

"I'm staying' here with em', go on and get changed, get cleaned up. " Daryl quietly told her.

Beth looked to him, then Merle and nodded. She followed carol out of the cell.

"He's gonna make it Daryl, he's strong, hell he killed the man who shot him before he passed out. Merle is strong, especially where you and Beth are concerned. He loves both of you, very much. I know he and Beth are not the typical couple but in this world, hell everyone needs a chance for love-"

"I know that. I know Merle; he wouldn't have taken the shot for anyone else. Maybe not even me, but Beth, Beth he loves. I know my brother, if he didn't love her, he wouldn't have done it."

They worked together to get merle's unconscious body into a clean, bloodless pair of pants. As they pulled off the remains of the shirt left on his body from when Hershel had cut it away to get at his wound. As they did that, Beth and carol walked quietly back in. Beth had clearly been sobbing, but was looking as though she was pulling it together.

"Take this Beth" as carol handed her a sponge soaked in warm water.

Carol and she washed their way down merle's body, cleaning away the blood from his scarred body.

Hershel looked on from outside the cell, as his youngest washed the blood away from the man that had saved her. Hershel wasn't sure how he felt about that. There was a 19 year age difference; Merle was loose cannon, a hot head and a criminal. But as he felt Maggie sit next to him, he knew that wasn't all she felt on the subject.

"He saved her. She would have been dead without her. Merle took a bullet to save Beth's life today, because he loves her. I know you don't like it but-"

"I hate the idea of that man touching my daughter. I hate the thought of-"

"He hasn't touched her! All they have done is kiss; he has turned her down when she went to him for more. Merle refused Beth, telling her she'd have to do a lot more before he'd be the one to bring her down. Daddy Merle loves her, Beth loves Merle, that's something you're going to need to get used to!"

"Maggie-"

"No!"

Hershel stopped and looked at Maggie; saw the anger, the tears in her eyes.

"You weren't there! You didn't see her after, after he was shot. She was screaming, in pain, in true emotional pain. She hadn't even told him yet that she loved him, yet he still he fought, still he may die for her! You may not like it but you have to get used to it."

Maggie looked straight in her father's eyes.

"Beth loves Merle. Merle loves Beth. I will do whatever I can to support them."

Maggie stood and walked away as Hershel looked at Beth.

Rick carried away the bloodied water, as carol and Beth dressed Merle's prone body. Daryl stood to help them but stumbled.

"You need to sit; you've given too much blood. We can dress him. Sit with him for now." Carol stated to Daryl, looking straight in his eyes. Daryl stood, holding her hand, and gave her a kiss.

"I'ma gonna go check on the kids real quick. Be right back."


	4. Chapter 4

Merle came to with a rush of pain. Not knowing where he was, he forced himself to calm down and reached out with his senses. His shoulder hurt like fuck, his other hand and side were in some sort of furnace as far as he could tell. He could feel soft breaths on his chest, and smelled the lavender in the air. Beth was here. She was safe.

Merle thought back to the last thing he remembered. Going on the run, seeing Beth grab condoms at the first gas station they stopped at. Ain't that right, Girlie was ready. Merle was conflicted, he wanted her badly, but she was his angel. Didn't want to drag her to hell with him. That's why they had hidden their relationship; worried that Hershel and Maggie would condemn Beth for being with someone like him.

Hershel. The gang's doc. The only one who could stitch him up besides Carol, but somehow Merle had a feeling Hershel had been the one.

Merle shifted his body, and immediately regretted it. The pain was something terrible. Getting shot sucked, but was so worth it. Beth was alive, here with him. Merle remembered the fear that damn near ripped him apart as he snuck up behind that crazy bastard with a gun to his girls' head. Remembered wrestling for the gun, knowing he was being a dumb ass, but he would die to protect Beth. Evidently he damn near did.

Merle reached out farther, listening. He could hear Carol talking to Maggie, Somewhere near by Tdog snored, the baby cooed and everyone else was quiet. Almost as if they were waiting….

"Better open your eyes before I kick your teeth in."

Daryl. The only person quieter then he could hear. Damn baby brother, always sneaking past.

Merle opened his eyes, glanced at Daryl sitting in a chair near his feet on his right side. Looked down to Beth, barely fitting on the narrow bed next to him.

"She okay?"

"She's fine. Hasn't left your side since ya were shot. I had to promise to stay here with ya when carol took her to change clothes. Figured it would be better for the girl, clean clothes minus the blood of her boyfriend."

Right to the point as always. Damn.

"Gotta problem with us?" Merle eyed Daryl, hoping he wouldn't.

"I think ya should have talked to Hershel, but I can see why ya didn't. If it helps, Maggie is on your side, told off Hershel earlier. Beth has made it damn clear she ain't gonna leave ya, so people just gonna have to get used to it."

Merle wasn't sure what to think. Maggie had hated him, why the change?

"Maggie? Ya sure? She hates my guts!"

"Ya damn near died today! You've had 3 blood transfusions, 2 from me, one from TDog. They drove up, the back of the SUV soaked in blood, Beth just as much. Beth would have died if it ain't for ya. Maggie realizes that, also realizes ya ain't gonna give up your life for just anyone. Plus ya got something to talk to Beth about."

"Ya, what's that?"

"I love you."

Both brothers' eyes shot down to the blond, just getting up from her narrow sleeping space.

"I'm gonna go get ya some pain killers. That's gotta hurt like a bitch." Daryl walked out of the cell, leaving Merle and Beth alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Merle looked down at Beth. She looked exhausted, dark circles under eyes, tear stains, different clothes then he last remembered.

"Ya all good?"

Beth snorted, looked at his bandage wrapped shoulder, and back up to his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't hear him coming, I had no idea-"

"Stop that shit, right now. I don't wanna hear it. None of us knew he was there, and we had already cleared that damn place. Ya ain't done nothing wrong, don't ya dare blame yourself for this."

Beth looked down at her hands, both still clenching his only. She thought back to the fear, before Merle saved her and after.

"I was so afraid, when I saw you had been shot. I know we wanted to keep this quiet but I couldn't. I broke your first rule on runs: shut the hell up! I screamed, I didn't know what else to do! By the time I reached you, there was blood everywhere, I couldn't wake you! Rick, Glenn and Maggie helped me get you out of there, but I thought it was too late. There was so much blood, I held you on the way back, kept expecting you to stop breathing, and I thought I had lost you! I didn't know what-"

Merle stopped her panicked explanation, pulling her down in for a kiss. They kissed as though they never would again, they almost didn't. Merle used his one good hand to pull her down in for a hug. As she tucked her head under his, he went thru all the speeding thoughts in his head, trying to decide what to say. What came out he hadn't planned but damn it he meant it.

"Beth if he had hurt you, I don't know what the hell I would have done. I've cared about ya for a long time, ya know that. But that moment, seeing that bastard's gun against your head, I lost it. I could have stabbed him then, could have killed his crazy ass some other way but I wasn't thinking that way. I just wanted him the fuck away from my girl. No one touches you! No one! I'd die before I let you get hurt. That's a blood promise, girlie, you can count on that. I'll be a dead man before that."

Beth sat up a little, just enough to bring her face closer to his.

"I love you Merle."

Merle was silent. Only 2 people had ever said that to him in his life and meant it. His damned long dead mother, and his brother. Never had he thought a woman would say it to him, and meant it. But he knew Beth was telling the truth. Her family knew about them now, yet here she was at his side. That meant more to Merle then he thought he could express, but he gave it a shot.

"I love ya too Beth. I have for a long time. You're the best damned thing to ever happen to me. Besides Daryl, ya the only one id die for. I know I ain't a good man, but I love ya girlie."

She leaned down for another kiss, this one longer then the first, but just as sincere.

"Ya'll may wanna cool it down. Hershel will be up in a second. Wants to take a look at the wound, give ya something for the pain." Daryl quietly stated, sneaking under Merle's senses for the second time.

"Damn it can't ya make some damned noise as ya walk!"

"Na, prefer spookin' ya instead."

Beth giggled at their antics, loving how the brothers had reconnected in the last month. Gone was the anger between the two, the angst that had survived since their childhood. Now the two stood strong together, Daryl helping Merle adjust to their living situation, Merle doing what he could for his brother. As Hershel and Rick walked into the cell, she stood off to the side, but never let go of Merle's one good hand.

"How's the pain right now? Any numbness or tingling?"

"Na, just pain. Lots of that. Can feel all the way thru to the damn stump. Feel lightheaded though."

"That's to be expected. You lost quite a lot of blood. Took three transfusions before we stabilized you. I think you're out of the danger zone; however I'd recommend total bed rest the next few days, then slowly working back up to full activity. I was able to remove the bullet whole, but there was quite a lot of muscle damage. You'll have issues with that arm for some time before it is totally healed, a few months at least."

"Damn, crazy bastard did a number on me!"

Rick snorted. "That he did. Pulled a 9 mm on you and you survived. I'd count your lucky stars and guardian angels for that one."

Hershel nodded" Now let's get you some pain killers. Rick, I'm gonna need the morphine-"

"No morphine."

Hershel turned to Merle, starting to argue. "Now son, I know you wanna be strong for her but-"

"I know I'm strong enough for her, just ain't strong enough to resist that shit. Been an addict before, not doing it again. Not after her."

"Try the Percocet. He ain't had issues with that." Daryl stated, watching from his post at the cell door.

"That's not as strong, but we can use it" Rick stated, leaving the cell for the requested pills.

Hershel looked to his daughter, sitting defiantly at Merles side. ~only one way to handle this~ he thought.

"I may not approve of you two, but I ain't fool enough to try and stop this. Just please, be careful. Use protection and know this Merle, if you hurt my little girl, you will pray for walkers."

"Understood." Merle nodded to Hershel, looking him straight in the eye as he walked out of the cell.

"Daddy!"

Hershel turned back to Beth, who threw herself in for a hug.

"Thank you daddy, I love him and he loves me. You don't need to worry."

Hershel smiled at Beth, gave her a kiss on the forehead, and pushed her back towards the bed, towards the man willing to give his life for hers. As he walked down the stairs, he glanced back, seeing the two embrace and kiss. For the first time, since the barn, since the world had gone to hell and the dead rose, he felt as though the world could fully heal. Seeing the rough redneck pulled in and tamed, not by an abusive father, or an oppressive leader, but by a 17 year old girl, a girl said red neck nearly died for. He smiled and turned to talk to carol, and to cuddle baby MJ.

Daryl stayed at the cell, waited for ricks return with the painkillers. As he returned, Rick glanced in at the two, and then down to Hershel, who was now blowing raspberries on the giggling babies belly as the mother looked on. As he looked back at his best friend, he saw something he hadn't seen in months. Since the governor, since the reappearance of Merle. A true smile. Rick was happy for the man, the group. They had survived together, come through so much. Daryl had stood by his side through the worst of it, Lori's betrayal, the governors' insanity and the consistent war with walkers. As rick handed him the pills and a water bottle, Daryl nodded in thanks and walked into the cell, once again spooking Merle.

"God damnit whistle or something! Ya never know, I coulda shot ya or something!"

"That would be a sight as your only hand is currently tangled in ya girlie's hair!"

"HEY! Only I get to call her girlie!"

"Like hell! I can call who ever I want whatever I want!"

" Yeah?! Whatcha gonna call me then?!"

"The lug head who isn't taking his pain killers!" carol's voice floated up from the cell block.

The two brothers stared out, wondering how loud they truly had been.

Beth, having sat back and watched their banter, giggled grabbed the pills, fed them to a surprised Merle, and proceeded to make him drink almost half the water bottle.

"Git some sleep, I'll wake ya two for dinner." Daryl stated as he wondered down the stairs, down towards his wife, and kids.

Rick, having watched all this, smirked, and sat back. Wondering how the hell they got here from where they had been.

~~~~~This is the end of part 3 of 4! Now I'm gonna go back and write the prequels! Hopefully in the next few days you'll learn who Daryl is married to, and who his kids are! You'll be surprised! Maybe…somewhat. :P Thank you so much for reading and the fantastic reviews!~~~~~~


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